


Komori Uta

by SilveryWind



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Lullabies, references to rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 06:16:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16907673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilveryWind/pseuds/SilveryWind
Summary: Eiji sings Ash to sleep.Set during Episode 20 whilst the gang are on the run from Golzine and hiding underground.





	Komori Uta

Unpleasant thoughts raced up-and-down Ash’s mind. He was away from danger, or so everyone else thought as they settled down and fell to sleep without any care in the world. But Ash was never away from danger, he was always moments away from being killed or worse; getting his loved ones killed. He was always alert, high on non-existent caffeine, high on pain and high on adrenaline. As he supressed a tremble and pulled the starch blanket throw closer around his shoulders, Eiji sat beside him.

“Ash, you should try to get some sleep”.

“Heh, like hell I can”, Ash chuckled darkly.

He hated sleeping more than anything else.

Tonight would be like any other night. Ash would fall into a fitful slumber and he’d be there, throwing soil on top of the graves of Skipper, Shorter and _even_ Eiji. His precious Eiji. Or he’d be in the thick of it, he’d be the one strangulating Eiji to death, plunging a knife deep into his abdomen, point-blank shooting him bulls-eye; right in center of the forehead. Cold, ruthless and unfeeling. The best nights were those where he only felt cold, slimy hands creep up his abdomen and the tell-tale chink-sound of a belt being undone. He could relive those so long as nobody that mattered to him got hurt. Sometimes he would dream of the impossible; he’d feel real arms around him, holding him tightly. He’d feel _loved_. But then he’d wake up, and realise it was another false alarm. On those nights, he wanted sleep to take him, to never wake him.

Eiji frowned when he saw Ash’s formerly soft expression harden into a distant, far-away look, watching his lips purse into a serious, straight line. Eiji recognised it as Ash’s unreadable face, the façade he put on when speaking to anyone but _him_. 

Eiji scooted closer to Ash and took his share of the blanket, wrapping the two together and started to gently sing a tune from his childhood days in his soft-honeyed voice.

 

Nennen korori yo, Okorori yo.

Bōya wa yoi ko da, Nenne shina.

 

Bōya no omori wa, Doko he itta?

Ano yama koete, Sato he itta.

 

Sato no miyage ni, Nani morouta?

Denden taiko ni, Shō no fue.

 

Soon, Ash contentedly rested his head against Eiji’s shoulder and Eiji glanced over and smiled after he’d finished singing.

“Say Eiji, what does it mean?”

“It’s bit all a bit of nonsense really. It’s an old lullaby my mother would sing to me and my kid sister on nights we couldn’t sleep. Apparently, her mother would sing it to her too when she was young”

“It sounds nice”.

Ash felt like tonight, he could get good sleep.

And he did.

He dreamed of the impossible; of temples, shrines and deities. He dreamed he was wandering through old, cobbled streets and staring in awe at curved wooden eaves and paper white walls supported by wooden beams – just as Eiji had told him. He dreamed of the landscapes of Izumo, of the bright-red shrine gates and snow-covered grounds and better yet, Eiji was by his side, warm and oh-so-full of life and he wished and _wished_ he could stay there, never to be woken up.  

When Ash awoke, Eiji still by his side breathing heavily, blanket falling slightly from one side he smiled. It didn't have to be impossible, he thought. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The result of listening to The Smiths at 2am. 
> 
> I'm trying to find the time to write at least 500 words per day, so please accept this small drabble. 
> 
> If you're interested in the lullaby Eiji sings, it's called "Edo Lullaby [Komori Uta]" and is a traditional cradle song that originates from Edo period.


End file.
